


What would I do without you?

by Katieboooo



Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Cute Keith, Fluff, Gen, Tex is Keith’s dad’s name, Tiny bit of Angst, domestic AU, kid keith
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-04-20
Updated: 2020-04-24
Packaged: 2021-03-01 23:40:31
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 4,783
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23745466
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Katieboooo/pseuds/Katieboooo
Summary: Just a bit of fluff and cute Keith and his father. Little snipits of their lives together.
Relationships: Keith and Keith’s dad
Comments: 3
Kudos: 33





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> This is something that I just felt the need to write. I just wanted to write some cute stuff! 
> 
> So here you go!~

Tex woke up to crying. His eyes snapped open and he groaned softly before rolling off the bed, eyes half open and he went towards Keith’s crib.

Keith was crying, squirming around with tears streaming down his cheeks.

“Aw, don’t cry,” Tex said softly, picking Kieth up and placing his on his hip, “Don’t cry, I’m here, I’m here.”

Keith wrapped his tiny arms around his dad and held his tightly, sticking his thumb in his mouth as his cries slowly died down.

Tex held his son and felt an overwhelming wave of sadness come over him. These bouts of sadness came over him every time that he remembered that Keith’s mother left.

Keith was all he had left of her.

Tex held Keith tighter in his arms.

“I love you.”

— — — —

Tex didn’t realize that he had fallen asleep, but awoke to crying again. He rubbed his eyes blearily and realized that he was seated on a chair in his son’s room.

He sat up and winced when his back protested and rubbed it before he got up. He rubbed his face tiredly and made his way to where his son was wrapped up in his swaddle, but crying again.

“Keith, sweetheart,” Tex mumbled as he picked Keith up and held him tightly o his chest, “Don’t cry, sweetheart, daddy’s here, daddy’s here.”

But Keith’s cries weren’t subsiding so Tex left the room with Keith in his arms and made his way down to the kitchen where he quickly made the baby formula and put it in Keith’s baby bottle.

He picked it up and tilted it towards Keith who immediately latched on and started greedily drinking from the bottle, his wide violet eyes meeting Tex’s grey eyes.

“Hello, Keith,” Tex said softly, small smile gracing his face as Keith watched him with interest as he finished the whole bottle.

Tex brought him back upstairs and was going tooth him back in his crib, but as soon as he tried, Keith started crying again so Tex picked him back up quickly calming the cries.

“What’s the matter, bud?” Tex asked as he lifted Keith in his arms. Keith buried himself in Tex’s arms, tiny fists holding onto his shirt tightly and Tex felt a small smile gracing his features, “Don’t want me to leave, huh?”

Tex felt himself smile as he sat back down in the chair in his son’s room. He found out that he slept more in Keith’s room than in his own, but if he able to calm Keith down by just being there, then by god would he always be there.

— — — — 

Tex was in the kitchen and Keith was in the living room, playing with his toys. The newly turned one year old was playing in his little baby mover, giggling as he played with his toys.

Tex smiled to himself as he made himself a sandwich and grabbed Keith’s baby food.

He went to the kitchen to grab Keith when Keith noticed him. He smiled his toothless grin and reached his arms up with a small whine.

“I know, I know,” Tex said with a small eye roll and he bent down to pick Keith up. As he was about to grab Keith, though, Keith said something else.

“Da,” he said softly and Tex froze, his eyes wide as he stared at Keith.

Keith tiled his head before he made grabby hands again and whined. Tex was still staring at Keith.

“Did...did you say what I think you said?” Tex said softly, eyes widening as they watered slightly. When Keith realized his dad wasn’t doing what he wanted, he whined again and made grabby hands.

“Da...da,” he repeated and Tex swore his heart swelled to ten times his size.

He picked Keith up and peppered his face with kisses as Keith giggled in glee.

“Am I Dada?” Tex smiled widely and Keith smiled at him before repeated.

“Dada,” he said with wrapped his tiny arms around Tex’s neck, “Dada, Dada, Dada!”

Tex smiled and placed Keith in his high chair as he started to feed him his baby food. Tex couldn’t stop smiling, not even after he went to bed, or when he was woken up multiple times by Keith’s crying.

No, not at all. He couldn’t stop smiling, not when Keith had finally called him Dada.

His first words.

Dada.

— — — —

Keith giggled as he ran around the house.

“Catch me, dada!” He laughed as his little feet ran across the floor.

“I’m coming to get you, Keith!” Tex laughed, seeing his son run across the floor with a wide smile.

Then, suddenly, Keith slipped.

Right next to the stairs.

Tex eyes widened once he realized what was happened. Keith gasped, eyes wide as he turned and saw his dad’s face before he fell.

“Keith!” Tex shouted, running faster, trying to grab his son.

“Dada!” Keith screamed as he tumbled down the stairs.

Tex dived down the stairs and was able to catch Keith before the three year old hit the ground, but not before he lost his balance. He curled, keeping Keith close to him as he landed on his back with an oof.

He immediately checked on Keith who was gripping Tex’s shirt in his tiny fist and shaking violently.

Tex sat up and rubbed Keith’s back as the three year old sobbed into his chest. 

“Keith, are you ok?” Tex asked, trying to look at Keith’s face, but three year old hid his face in Tex’s shirt with a muffled sob, “Come on, Keith, let me see your face?”

Keith sniffled and carefully peaked his eyes up, watery violet eyes met with warm grey eyes and Tex smiled.

“There’s my boy,” Tex said, ruffling Keith’s hair gently, “You ok?”

Keith nodded with a sniffle. Tex lifted Keith up so that his chin was hooked over his shoulder as he rocked Keith with soft murmurs as Keith continued to sniffle and suck on his thumb.

Eventually Keith’s sniffled tapered off into soft even breaths and Tex sighed, knowing Keith had fallen asleep.

— — — —

“Daddy, please don’t go,” Keith said, lip wobbling.

Tex turned towards Keith. The five year old’s eyes were watering.

Tex sighed, he knew why. The last time Tex had a mission, he was stuck in the hospital for a week and Keith was terrified and didn’t let Tex out of his sight for a good two weeks.

“Keith, buddy,” Tex said kneeling down so he was the same height as the five year old, “I promise I’ll be ok, I’ll be back before you know it.”

Keith sniffled and Tex melted and brought him into a long hug.

“I promise I’ll be back soon,” Tex said, holding the tiny body of his son tightly to his chest, “I love you.”

“Love you too,” Keith replied and Tex pulled away with a smile and kissed Keith’s forehead.

“I’ll be right back.”

— — — —

Tex made it to the burning building with his colleagues and widened his eyes with how far it has spread.

“Anybody left inside?” Tex asked as he helped to unload the hose to help the fire that was steadily growing.

Before his colleague could answer, a women in a nearby ambulance started screaming.

“My kids!” She cried, eyes wide as she stared at the burning building.

Tex looked at his colleague, Kyle and they nodded before quickly entering the burning building.

“I’ll go this way, you go the other,” Kyle shouted over the burning flames eating away at the house.

As Tex made his way through the house, he found a kid, huddled in the corner of a room, eyes wide with tears streaking his cheeks.

He couldn’t be that much older than Keith.

“Hey buddy,” Tex said kneeling as he looked at the kid who was watching him with wide eyes, “Let’s get out of here, ok?”

The kid opened his mouth, but all that came out were coughs.

“Careful, don’t inhale too much,” Tex said and took off his hat to place it on the kids and smiled at his reassuringly, “Lets get out of here, yeah?”

The kid nodded and Tex helped him to his feet. However, as soon as he stood up, a piece of wood crashed right in front of him and the boy and without thinking, he covered the boy with his body, shielding him from the wood and the fire as it greedily ate up the wood and blocked their exit.

Tex carefully looked behind him and saw the piece of wood effectively blocking the exit to the house. 

He looked around and found a window that wasn’t too covered in flames.

“Ok, buddy, follow me,” Tex said and grabbed the boys hand as they made their way to the window. The smoke was starting to get to Tex and he coughed into his elbow as they got closer to the window.

He knew that it was a bad idea to open windows as it can cause the fire to grow more than it already was, but there was no other way out.

Using his elbow, he broke the window and once he deemed it was big enough for a child, he carefully put the child through the window and saw another pair of firefighters help the kid out of the window.

Right as he got the kid out of the house, the fire roared behind him and he didn’t even bother to glance behind him as he jumped out of the window himself, a burst of fire exploding out the window.

He was helped up by a few of his colleagues and watched as the boy and his mother were reunited along with another girl who was a bit older.

The boy was still wearing his helmet and the women looked up and gave him a glance before smiling at him. He gave a nod in return.

Right as he was about to leave, after assuring that the family was in good hands, the mother walked up to him with her son in her arms and her daughter waiting in the ambulance with a shock blanket over her shoulders.

“Um, excuse me,”she said softly and Tex turned around and smiled when he saw the mother and the boy, “I just wanted to say thank you for saving my baby.”

The boy was watching with heavy lidded eyes, the helmet off of his head, but held in both of his hands.

“Of course,” Tex replied with a smile, “Its my job.”

The women smiled, “Yes, well,” she looked at the boy who looked at her, “Don’t you have something to say to the nice man?”

The boy looked at Tex, “Thank you, mister.”

Tex laughed, “Just Tex is fine,” he said.

The women looked back at her son and said something softly to him that had his expression drooping.

“I believe this is yours,” the women said, gesturing to the helmet that was still in her son’s hands.

Tex looked at the kid and his heartbroken expression.

“You can keep it,” Tex said with a smile.

The boy’s eyes lit up and he looked to his mother with wide eyes.

His mother smiled at Tex, “What do you say to the nice man?”

“Thank you, mister Tex,” the boy replied.

The mother smiled back at her son and gave him and kiss to the forehead before he finally drifted off.

“Thank you, again,” she said with sincere eyes, “Really, I don’t know what I would’ve done if I lost him.” She tightened her grip around her son, “He and his sister are all I have left of my husband.”

Tex smiled softly, “I know the feeling, my son is all that I have left of my wife.”

The women smiled at him again, “Thank you so much.”

Tex watched as she left and joined her daughter in the ambulance who immediately curled around her and her brother. Tex felt a smile in place as he went back into the truck.

Another family reunited.

After he undressed and took a shower to get the smell of smoke off of him in the firehouse, he looked at his desk and saw a smiling picture of Keith in one frame and another picture of Keith in another frame after he was just born with his mother.

Tex felt a smile stretch his face as he left the firehouse, time to go back to his own treasure.

— — — —

When Tex returned home, he was surprised to find Keith sleeping on the floor right in front of the door. He felt his heart skip a beat as he saw his son there.

He had brought a pillow and a blanket as he set up right in front of the door and fell asleep waiting for him.

Tex’s heart melted as he immediately dropped his bags and scooped Keith up into his arms. Keith stirred a bit and blinked tiredly before he eyes widened.

“Daddy!” He cried and hugged Tex tightly, “I saw the TV, and, and they were talking ‘bout fire! And-and I saw you! And then I saw it esplode!”

Tex smiled as Keith regaled him of what he saw on TV, but then he saw Keith’s chin wobble.

“Oh, my baby,” Tex said softly as he pulled Keith back into his arms.

“I was scared,” Keith said softly, “I was scared that you wouldn’t come home.”

Tex pulled back and saw Keith sniffling with tears coursing down his cheeks. He knew he couldn’t promise Keith that he would be ok, but he could promise something else.

“Keith, I promise that even if I’m not here, I’ll always he right here,” he pointed to Keith’s heart, “I’ll always protect you, even if I’m not here anymore.”

The caused Keith’s eyes to water more and Tex brought him back into his embrace as Keith cried again. Tex just hugged and said soft reassurances in his ear as he rocked them back and forth.

That night, Keith slept with Tex, his mouth wrapped around his thumb. It was a habit that Tex was trying to break, but he didn’t have the heart to do it now. He watched as Keith curled into Tex, laying his head on Tex’s chest with one hand tightly fisted in the material of his shirt.

Tex placed his hand on Keith’s head, the hair and his eyes the only thing he had left to remember his wife by and kissed Keith softly.

“I love you so much,” he said with a smile as he watched Keith sleep and eventually fell asleep himself.


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Poor little Keith gets sick.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> There is throwing up bits, it’s not too graphic, but if it makes you uncomfortable, you can skip from where it says, “After about an hour, Keith shot up with a gasp” to where it says, “Keith nodded, more tears were coursing down his cheeks.”
> 
> Hope you enjoy!

Tex woke up to find Keith next to him. Keith was huddled on his chest, fist curled into his shirt, his favorite spot was always on Tex’s chest.

Tex wrapped his arms around Keith and gently shook him awake.

“Hey, Keith, buddy,” Tex said with a smile.

Keith blinked open blearily, rubbing his eyes with one hand as he sat up on Tex’s chest.

“Daddy?” He mumbled tiredly.

“Yes?” Tex asked, smiling growing wider when he saw Keith yawning. However, his smile faded when he saw Keith frown slightly.

“Daddy, I...I don’t-I don’t feel good,” Keith said.

That’s when Tex noticed the flush that was around his cheekbones and across the bridge of his nose.

He carefully sat up with a frown. Keith’s dazed violet eyes blinking up at him in confusion.

Tex quickly checked Keith’s forehead, feeling unnatural heat there. He frowned and Keith leaned into his father’s touch.

Tex carefully picked Keith up and Keith laid his head on his father’s shoulder tiredly. His arms were just hanging over Tex’s shoulders, which never happened, Keith usually wrapped his arms around Tex’s neck to be as close as possible.

This was a testament to how bad he felt.

“Not feeling great, buddy, huh?” Tex said, rubbing Keith’s back as he opened the medicine cabinet, grabbing gate thermometer.

Keith shook his head.

Tex pulled Keith back a little bit.

“Hey, buddy, I need to stick this in your mouth, ok?” Tex said and Keith opened his mouth and let Tex place the stick in his mouth.

After a little bit, the thermometer beeped and Tex pulled it out of his mouth. He had a 101.7 degree fever. He pulled Keith back to his chest.

Grabbing the Tylenol and a few crackers, Tex poured the correct amount for Keith before grabbing a cup and filling it with water for after.

“Here, Keith,” Tex said, handing him the Tylenol, “Drink it, it’ll make you feel better.”

Keith scrunched his nose up and Tex laughed softly before Keith drank it. He gave Keith the water and Keith drank half of it before pulling it away and collapsing against Tex’s chest. 

Tex moved over to the couch and sat down, holding Keith to his chest and tried giving Keith some crackers, but Keith turned away from them. Tex sighed.

“Just eat one, Keith,” Tex said, “You need something in that little tummy of yours.” He tickled Keith’s stomach and Keith giggled and ate a few crackers from Tex’s insistence.

Keith always got sick easily so Tex had a full cabinet dedicated to Keith. One time Keith was so sick that Tex had to bring him to the town to go to a doctor and he was in the hospital for three days before his fever finally went down from a startling 105.2 to a more manageable 101.3. 

Those were the worst three days of Tex’s life, seeing his baby unresponsive on a table surrounded by medical equipment. He was four when that happened and Tex was terrified out of his mind. 

Keith was now five and Tex still worried that it would happened again. He held Keith closer to his chest before turning on the TV to a random show as he rubbed Keith’s back.

After about an hour, Keith shot up with a gasp and Tex knew what was about to happen so he quickly ran to the bathroom and placed Keith in front of the toilet as he threw up last night’s dinner and the few crackers he ate.

Keith moaned into the toilet and looked towards Tex, tears streaming down his face.

“Daddy, I don’t like this,” Keith sobbed.

“I know, Keith,” Tex said as he rubbed his back, “I’m right here, just let it out.”

“I don’t want to!” Keith said and shuddered.

“You’ll feel better, I promise,” Tex said.

Tears were streaming down Keith’s face as he shook his head. Tex sighed and looked towards Keith who was swallowing heavily.

“I’ll be right back, ok?” Tex said to Keith who was still shaking.

Tex grabbed the heating bag and filled it up with warm water before going back into the bathroom where Keith was curled into himself.

“Hey, Keith,” Tex said, carefully pulling Keith’s arms from around himself, “This’ll help, I promise.”

Keith looked over and saw the heating bag and reluctantly let go of his stomach and let his dad place it on his stomach. Keith shuddered before he suddenly tensed and leaned over the bowl as more of dinner showed up.

“Daddy!” Keith moaned into the toilet before coughing and throwing up again, “I don’t like it!”

Tex felt the pain with each cry Keith let out. He was holding Keith up, his arms were wrapped around his stomach, keeping the heating pad in place. He felt his little body shuddered as he continued to throw up.

This was what Tex hated about Keith getting sick. The parts where he couldn’t do anything but watch as his son cried in pain.

After about an hour, Keith slumped against Tex, spent. He was throwing up non-stop for the first 15 minutes. Every time Tex asked if he was done, Keith would shake his head and cry until he had to do it again.

“You done?” Tex asked softly.

Keith nodded, more tears were coursing down his cheeks.

Tex kissed his temple and kept the heating bag against Keith’s stomach for a little longer.

“Does your stomach hurt anymore?” Tex asked softly.

Keith shook his head.

Tex flushed the toilet before pulling the heating pad off of Keith’s stomach and turning him around so he could pick Keith up.

“Daddy?” Keith asked, voice raspy and hoarse.

“Yes?” Tex replied, rubbing his back.

“I don’t like being sick,” Keith replied.

Tex smiled softly, “Nobody likes being sick, bud.”

Keith sighed against his shoulder. Tex grabbed the thermometer and made his way up the stairs. 

“Brush your teeth, Keith,” Tex said, placing Keith down on the step stool he had to use to reach the sink, “You’ll feel better after, ok?”

Keith nodded tiredly and went to brush his teeth and Tex smiled at his son before leaving to grab more blankets for Keith as he wouldn’t want to leave Tex’s side at all.

When Tex went back to the bathroom, Keith was cleaning his mouth with water. When he noticed his dad, he turned and made grabby hands.

Tex smiled and complied, pulling Keith to his chest and went to his bed and sat against the headboard as Keith slept against his chest buried in blankets. He kept a hand on Keith’s back and the other was scrolling through his phone.

He let his co-workers know that he was going to stay home for a few days because his son was sick.

They were completely understanding. They were familiar with Keith from the many times that Tex brought Keith with him to work. Also the many times when one of them had to babysit Keith. They didn’t know what happened to Keith’s mother, but they never asked, knowing it was tender topic.

He smiled at all the reassurances that it was ok and the well wishes to Keith.

Below him, Keith was squirming slightly and Tex pulling Keith higher on his chest, bringing the blankets with him and Keith snuggled closer to his dad with a sigh.

They were good for about an hour in a half before Tex decided to check Keith’s temperature again.

102.5.

Tex sighed and carefully brushed back Keith’s sweat-soaked bangs. Carefully, he pulled Keith off of him and placed him in bed while he went to go grab a wet towel.

When he returned, however, Keith was squirming, kicking around the bed and mumbling quietly.

Tex frowned and quickened his pace. As he approached the bed, Keith’s eyes snapped open and his eyes were wide and looking around.

“Daddy?” He called, chin wobbling.

“Hey, hey,” Tex said softly, slipping in the bed next to Keith, “Hey, I’m right here.”

Keith’s eyes were wide as more tears streamed down his cheeks, he didn’t seem to notice Tex there at all.

“Daddy!” Keith called louder.

Tex quickly grabbed Keith and Keith squirmed in Tex’s hold before noticing who was holding him.

“Daddy?” Keith asked, eyes wide as he stared at Tex.

“Yeah, yeah it’s me, Keith,” Tex said. Keith sighed and collapsed against his chest and sniffled, “Don’t cry,” Tex said softly as he rubbed his thumbs under his eyes to stop the tears.

“I-I thought you left,” Keith said quietly, sticking his thumb back in his mouth, a habit that Tex was still trying to break, but he let it go for now, knowing that Keith was already distraught.

“I won’t leave you, Keith,” Tex said softly, holding Keith tighter before turning Keith so that his back was against Tex’s chest.

He brushed back sweat soaked bangs and placed the cold towel on his forehead. Keith sighed and relaxed in his hold.

Tex checked his temperature again.

102.1.

Tex sighed and held Keith against his chest.

He hated whenever Keith got sick.

He hated it.

— — — — 

Tex didn’t remember falling asleep, but he woke up slowly, frowning a bit, wondering what it was he woke up from.

He looked down and realized that his lap was empty. He sat up quickly, lookin around, wondering if Keith rolled off of him while he was sleeping, but he wasn’t on the bed anywhere.

The towel that was on Keith’s forehead was dry and on the bed next to Tex. Worry was building up as he quickly exited he room.

He looked around the upstairs, not seeing Keith anywhere. He frowned and went downstairs. As he walked in the kitchen, he noticed a Keith standing there, staring at his hands.

“Keith?” Tex asked softly, approaching Keith slowly.

Keith slowly turned around, eyes frowning, body trembling slightly.

“Daddy?” He asked, voice wobbling slightly.

“What are you doing, bud?” Tex asked as he made his way closer to Keith and Keith didn’t seem to notice him coming closer.

“I-I don’t know,” Keith said softly, still frowning, “How did-why am I here?”

Tex’s heart stopped.

Did Keith not remember walked downstairs.

“Hey, sweetheart,” Tex said softly as he knelt down in front of Keith, “Let me check your temperature, ok?”

Keith looked at Tex confusedly before he allowed him to take his temperature.

Tex looked at the thermometer.

103.8.

Shit.

“Keith, baby, lets go upstairs, yeah?” Tex asked. Keith just frowned.

Tex grabbed his hand as they started to walk upstairs grabbed some more of the crackers as they went upstairs.

Tex placed Keith on the bed as he went to wet the towel again.

When he returned, Keith was shivering. He made his way over to the bed, placing the crackers on the nightstand as he climbed in with Keith and placed the blankets over him.

“Daddy, ‘m cold,” Keith said, still shivering.

“I know, I know,” Tex said before grabbing the cold towel and placing it on Keith’s forehead.

As soon as Keith felt the cold, he yelped and turned his head to get it off.

“Daddy, it’s cold!” Keith whimpered.

“I know, I know it is,” Tex said sighing, “I know it’s cold.”

“I don’t want it!” Keith said.

“Keith, it’ll make you better,” Tex said as he picked up the towel again, “It’ll help you to not be sick anymore.”

Keith eyed the towel with clear mistrust before letting Tex place it on his forehead. 

As soon as he placed the towel down, Tex could feel Keith tense before he visibly shuddered and Tex held him tighter before grabbing the crackers.

“Keith, let a little, it’ll make your tummy better,” Tex said.

Keith grabbed the crackers and slowly ate them before letting Tex grab some.

Keith finished about half the sleeve before he stopped eating them and placed them back on the table.

“Daddy, I’m tired,” Keith said.

“Go to sleep, I’ll be here when you wake up,” Tex said.

“Promise?” Keith asked.

Tex nodded, “I promise.”

— — — —

Tex was scrolling through his phone again, he had gone to wet the towel twinge when it had gotten to warm.

He checked Keith’s temperature again and saw.

101.5.

He sighed in relief as it had lowered some.

He watched Keith’s chest rise and fall and felt his mind wandering.

The way his mother used to hold Keith and sing him to sleep when he was upset, the way she would be able to soothe him just by holding him.

How he saw the pain in her eyes when she had to leave, the clear hesitation as she looked at Keith, barely 3 months old.

The way she held his hand and squeezed it and the tears running down her cheeks as she left.

Tex hadn’t realized he was crying until a few drops dropped on his phone. He quickly rubbed them and placed his phone back on the nightstand.

Keith was the best thing that happened to him and held him tighter.

He didn’t know what he would do if something bad happened to him.

He leaned down on the bed, keeping Keith secure to his chest as he fell asleep.

— — — — 

Tex woke up about half an hour later and saw that Keith had crawled up Tex’s chest and was now collapsed on him, cheek pressed into his chest as he was wrapped around Tex.

Tex felt a smile on his features and went to check Keith’s temperature.

99.2.

Tex sighed in relief and placed the towel that had fallen on Keith’s forehead on the nightstand and Keith’s snuggled into Tex’s chest as he settled.

Tex felt a smile tug as his cheeks.

“I love you,” he said into Keith’s hair, “More than you could ever know. Goodnight, Keith.”

Tex settled and closed his eyes, but wasn’t asleep yet when he heard the words.

“I love you too, daddy,” Keith replied, “You’re the best daddy in the world.”

Tex fell asleep with a smile on his face and with Keith a sure weight on his chest.


End file.
